Kansas House looks at rival tax measure

A legislative committee approved its Republican chairman’s plan for cutting Kansas sales and income taxes on Tuesday. The plan differs from the governor’s proposal to slash income taxes more aggressively.

The plan drafted by Rep. Richard Carlson of St. Marys, chairman of the powerful House Taxation Committee, would reduce individual income tax rates over the next four years only if state revenues grow by at least 2 percent each year. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback wants to cut income tax rates regardless of state revenue.

But Carlson’s proposal also would allow the state’s sales tax to decrease to 5.7 percent in July, as scheduled by state law. The governor wants to keep the tax at 6.3 percent.

The committee’s voice vote sent the measure to the entire House for debate, a day before the Senate was to debate its own tax bill, which contains most of Brownback’s plan.

Carlson’s proposal also would phase out all individual income tax deductions as tax rates decline, rather than target specific deductions for homeowners, as Brownback did.

In addition, Carlson is proposing to divert $370 million over two years from highway projects to the rest of the budget.

Brownback has said he wants to position the state to eventually phase out individual income taxes. Many GOP legislators have endorsed that goal.